Fatah official to Olympic Committee: Request to hold minute of silence in memory of Munich massacre "constitutes an unjustified provocation" and "demonstrates a politicization of sport"

Al-Akhbar, Lebanese daily
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July 24, 2012

"There are efforts by Israel to press the International Olympic Committee to have a minute of standing in silence at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. This year [2012] is the 40th anniversary of the event (i.e., Munich Massacre, 11 Israeli Olympic athletes murdered), and the Israeli activity has increased with support from the US, Australia, and Canada, to hold a minute of silence at the opening ceremony that will be held in London on Friday [July 27, 2012]. This matter caused the Palestine Olympic Committee to act quickly through correspondence with members of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee, including the Lebanese Toni Khoury . Khoury received a letter from Chairman of the Palestine Olympic Committee [and Deputy Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee] Jibril Rajoub, which said:

‘In the name of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian athletes, we bless you… and hope for and wish you great success in the service of our causes in the fields of sport, humanity, and Arabness.

We ask to bring to your attention that we have learned that the Israeli side is endeavoring to hold a memorial [service] for the Munich event at the upcoming Olympic Games in London. This constitutes an unjustified provocation, especially since the Palestinian athlete… is exposed daily to blockades, arrest, and humiliation, and many of them have been killed. This behavior by the Israeli side demonstrates a politicization of sport. Therefore, we expect your intervention in order to eliminate this topic from the agenda of the organizing committee, especially since the office of the director of the International Olympic Committee has rejected this matter in the past; however, there are pressures from the side of the American Congress, and the governments of Canada and Australia, to discuss this matter again.

Therefore we hope that a concerted and effective effort will be made by your side to make sure that this matter is deleted, and that it will not be discussed in any way.'"

The Munich Massacre - a terrorist attack perpetrated by the Palestinian terror organization Black September during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, in which they murdered 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team.

Jibril Rajoub also holds the following positions: Head of the Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Palestinian Football, and Chairman of the Palestinian Scout Association (PSA).